ACFT EQUIP PROB -- AN FAA MAINT INSPECTOR INFORMED THE FLC THAT HE HAD FOUND 2 PINHOLES IN THE #1 ENG DURING PREFLT AFTER THE FLT. THE FLC AFTER A MAINT INSPECTION DEPARTS; IN ERROR; FOR THEIR NEXT FLT.

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PRIOR TO OUR DEP FROM SEA TO PDX AN FAA MAINT INSPECTOR CAME ABOARD TO JUMPSEAT TO PDX. THE INSPECTOR MENTIONED THAT HE HAD PRE-FLTED THE AIRPLANE. (UPON ARRIVING AT PDX AND AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN AND PARKING CHKLIST; THE INSPECTOR MENTIONED THAT DURING HIS PREFLT INSPECTION IN SEATTLE; HE HAD SEEN 2 PIN-HOLES IN THE #1 ENG EXHAUST STACK). THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY CALLED MAINT CTL ON THE ACFT RADIO AND TOLD THEM 'WE HAVE JUST ARRIVED WITH AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO RPTED 2 PIN-HOLES IN THE EXHAUST OF #1 ENG; COULD YOU SEND A MECH OVER TO LOOK AT IT?' THEY REPLIED THAT A MECH WAS ON THE WAY. BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF DEPLANED AND INSPECTED THE PINHOLES. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT AND I PROCEEDED TO THE READY ROOM TO CHK THE WX AND COMPANY MAIL BOXES FOR ANY UPDATES FLT OPS MANUAL; FSM; ETC. UPON MY ARR BACK TO THE AIRPLANE; I PROCEEDED WITH PREFLT DUTIES AND EXTERIOR INSPECTIONS IN PREPARATION FOR OUR NEXT LEG. A COMPANY MECH WAS LOOKING AT THE PINHOLES AND I STOPPED TO TALK WITH HIM ABOUT IT; THE MECH SAID 'THE PINHOLES ARE NOT A SAFETY PROB.' I THEN PROCEEDED TO THE COCKPIT AS THE MECH BEGAN TO TALK ON HIS PORTABLE RADIO. A FEW MINS LATER THE CAPT ARRIVED WHILE I WAS PERFORMING MY COCKPIT PREFLT FUNCTIONS. THE CAPT ASKED IF MAINT HAD ARRIVED AND I TOLD HIM 'YES;' THE MECH SAID THAT THE PINHOLES WERE NOT A SAFETY PROB; AND THAT HE HAD LEFT THE AREA. WHEN I CALLED IN OUR ETA TO YVR; I WAS INFORMED TO TELL THE CAPT TO CALL DISPATCH WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE. UPON OUR GATE ARR AT YVR; THE CAPT DEPLANED TO MAKE THE CALL. WHEN THE CAPT RETURNED; HE SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN INFORMED THAT THE 2 PINHOLES HAD TO BE INSPECTED BY A MECH BEFORE WE COULD DEPART YVR FOR PDX; AND THAT WE WERE TO GO SEE THE DUTY OFFICER AFTER OUR ARR BACK AT PDX. A CANADIAN MECH ARRIVED; INSPECTED THE 2 PINHOLES; AND SIGNED THE LOGBOOK. DURING THE MEETING WITH THE DUTY OFFICER AND OTHERS; WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE PINHOLES WERE DISCREPANCY AND THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN UP IN THE MAIN LOGBOOK PRIOR TO LEAVING PDX FOR YVR. WE WERE ALSO INFORMED AT THIS MEETING THAT THE FLT TO YVR FROM PDX HAD BEEN CANCELED DUE TO THE PINHOLES; HOWEVER NEITHER MYSELF; THE CAPT OR THE FLT ATTENDANT HAD BEEN NOTIFIED BY MAINT; DISPATCH; OR OPS THAT THE FLT HAD BEEN CANCELED AT ANY TIME; NOT EVEN WHEN I CALLED IN OUR OUT AND OFF TIMES TO PDX OPS ONCE AIRBORNE FROM PDX. THE FIRST TIME THE CAPT AND MYSELF HEARD OF THE CANCELLATION WAS AT THE MEETING.